What does the Romanian Revolution look like seen from the present, from the perspective of generations that have not witnessed it, but that nonetheless come to understand its language?

In the context of current proliferations of revolutionary ideas and forms, the memory of the events from 1989 in Romania is still publicly activated, most often through rituals of commemoration. Hot & Cold: Revolution in the Present Tense, is an art project in public space that raises discussions about the symbolic importance of the Romanian Revolution of 1989. The project offers a critical perspective through which the general commemorative context that treats public space as a compact place for debate, reflection and collective expression, can be challenged and re-imagined.

The project starts from the premise that revolution today is not just an event, but a language that is emerging. We might look at it as one of the constitutive phenomena of urban space, spanning cultures and places. From the East towards the West and from the periphery towards the center of the cities, the language of revolution works to upset geographies of power and expose their transitory nature.

From 13-14 December 2014 in Cluj and 16-18 December 2014 in Timișoara, three artist groups presented projects in public spaces: